[anakin1979]

Well I do hope you're wrong in the sense that RIM still finds a way to succeed. I am still thankful that during the times they were still indeed, good at what they did, their push e-mail service helped me a lot.

You can't go wrong with a Galaxy S2. If you have any questions on the device, feel free to send me a direct message here.

I also had a Playbook and was an early adopter, but when I realized it was not going to tether with my S2, I sold it and got a Galaxy Tab. My transition is now complete, and have no regrets.

I have great wishes for RIM, I still think they might have a chance if they act fast now.

[NickA]

This is my first Samsung product, and I bought the Galaxy tab a couple of days later.

I can say after two weeks of non stop use- no complaints. All praises.

I had a Samsung Fascinate and I loved it. No one beats the SAMOLED screen. The frustrating part I had with Samsung is updating the thing! All the other Galaxy S phones got updated, and the Fascinate was last. Could have been because of Verizon though, who knows. And I happen to like TouchWiz too, and miss it sometimes.

[NickA]

I also had a Playbook and was an early adopter, but when I realized it was not going to tether with my S2, I sold it and got a Galaxy Tab. My transition is now complete, and have no regrets.

I have great wishes for RIM, I still think they might have a chance if they act fast now.

Sorry if you mentioned it in this or another post and I missed it, but do you have the 10.1 or the 8.9 GTab?

[NordicNinja]

Well I do hope you're wrong in the sense that RIM still finds a way to succeed. I am still thankful that during the times they were still indeed, good at what they did, their push e-mail service helped me a lot.

You can't go wrong with a Galaxy S2. If you have any questions on the device, feel free to send me a direct message here.

I also had a Playbook and was an early adopter, but when I realized it was not going to tether with my S2, I sold it and got a Galaxy Tab. My transition is now complete, and have no regrets.

I have great wishes for RIM, I still think they might have a chance if they act fast now.

Wow the Playbook won't tether to the S2?? Now I'm even more pissed off, that's seriously lame. Errr...

[tack]

I always will and am a BB fanboy. I recommended the S2 to my uncle a few months ago. He loves it and the reason I gave it to him was because BB at that time weren't doing stuff which he wanted (no 9900 then!) I love BB but if someone needs something in their device then I will truthfully give a good device which fits their needs

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I try not to be offensive, but I have to say if you recommended a Storm2 to anyone within the past 18 months you are not only the biggest fanboy out there!

I had a Storm2 from the week it was released. Better than first Storm but simply the worst BB ever, both hardware and software. I went through 4 of them in a year due to button issues, screens, etc. It is an unreliable device with lots of freezes, delays, and issues through every software release. I will note that the battery pulls were not needed as much with it compared to my other BB's. Hardware failures were often, and I hope your uncle is one who does not experience it.

If you gave him your used one for free, then I complete understand. If he paid for it, wow. I would go with a new one no problem, but not the Storm series. Thank goodness they renamed the series!

[anakin1979]

Sorry if you mentioned it in this or another post and I missed it, but do you have the 10.1 or the 8.9 GTab?

sent you a PM

[pantlesspenguin]

I try not to be offensive, but I have to say if you recommended a Storm2 to anyone within the past 18 months you are not only the biggest fanboy out there!

I had a Storm2 from the week it was released. Better than first Storm but simply the worst BB ever, both hardware and software. I went through 4 of them in a year due to button issues, screens, etc. It is an unreliable device with lots of freezes, delays, and issues through every software release. I will note that the battery pulls were not needed as much with it compared to my other BB's. Hardware failures were often, and I hope your uncle is one who does not experience it.

If you gave him your used one for free, then I complete understand. If he paid for it, wow. I would go with a new one no problem, but not the Storm series. Thank goodness they renamed the series!

I'm pretty sure he meant the Galaxy S2, not the Storm2 .

[anon(1603170)]

Wow the Playbook won't tether to the S2?? Now I'm even more pissed off, that's seriously lame. Errr...

It does tether, if you set a wifi hotspot on the s2.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[MetalxAssassinx]

Dude ,, Android world is AMAZING after all ,, but for me .. i don't want this BIG Screen .. as well i don't want these Apps .. i just Focus on what i Want , which is : Camera , Keyboard , Multitasking , also i love the BIS and Push system on bb :P ,, So yea i would choose Blackberry over my Android phones :P , but if your needs are different , then DON'T even come close to bb =))

[CrackedBarry]

Heya,

If you're considering an Android phone, I just wanted to add something you might want to keep in mind. Try out a phone with QHD resolution (960*540) too while you're at it. Like one of the newer HTC or Motorolas...

Yes, the SAMOLED screen is great (though oddly some don't like the vivid colors) but the added resolution with QHD screen is really nice too. You can read quite a bit more of a webpage or book or email, without scrolling. It's one of those things you especially miss once you go without, LOL!

But as I said earlier, the SGSII IS awesome and probably the fastest phone out there. Good luck!

(And yes, you'll be able to use your Playbook with pretty much any Android phone. Just set up a wireless hotspot. FWIW you can even tether an iPad to it if you have to.)

[joeberrymomma]

I really appreciated your posting. Some would say, put it in Android Central, however, I think your post was an honest look at comparing the two devices from a BB user perspective.

My upgrade is coming soon. Currently with BB for 4 years and now running OS6 on BB 9700. The 9900 looks to be a nice upgrade, however, from a functionality standpoint the, GSII looks like a really nice upgrade.

Some concerns:

#1 - Keyboard - Typing speed and accuracy. Many say they get use to touch screen typing or use swype. There is always voice commands (yet not always practical for privacy reasons). Along with typing, the BB has such great keyboard shortcuts. Add to this a third party app like Quiclaunch and the user can get to what they need very quickly, without swyping screens and hunting for the icon. The Android platform is highly customizable, so maybe there are some shortcuts here that I don't know about.

#2 - Battery - looks like an extended battery is in the cards for me if I go GSII. Most postings also rate the battery life for the 9900 as being poor as well, so if it is going to be a tie, then why not get more speed, flexibility, etc.

#3 - email push - you addressed that one by stating that there is push email available through IMap? Would that be only for gmail accounts? Mainly what I run anyway, as I like the filters.

#4 Deep integration of apps - On a BB I can send a text, bbm (leave that one out), email, facebook message/wall post, twitter post, social feed, etc. right from the main email folder. Can this be done on an Android.

#5 - Led Notification- Only the Sprint version of GSII has a led notification. I understand that there are some apps for Android that will cause the bottom screen buttons to flash when there is a notification. Question if the profile management is equivalent to that of BB which is excellent.

# 6 - Phone button. Really like to have a physical phone and and end button key on BB. Can get to my phone wherever I am on the device and end the call wherever I am on the device. After all, these are supposed to be phones, right? So how does Android manage to have quick access to making a call and then terminating a call when mult-tasking.

#7 - App switching - With a BB, the app switching screen shows ALL apps that are currently open and the user can switch to them quickly. I understand that Android has an app switcher similar, yet is limited to 4-5 apps it will show.

#8 - Security - BB is known for security. So much so, they were banned in a country because the security is too good! Android on the other hand is open source which is great from a developers perspective, yet leaves it open to malware. Consistently mentioned in articles on the internet are Android phones be susceptible to scams and malware. I suppose one has to be careful just like on their PC. I have never worried about this stuff with my BB. Hard enough to get a developer to develop an app for BB, let alone create a Trojan! LOL!

Anyways, I have some time to decide. I am not one to constantly be switching phones, really every two years. So what I get is important. Please respond or BBM (oops, that would be going away) - but hey, there is always IM. I don't have a lot of BBM contacts, so it won't be a great loss. Anyway, pretty happy with BB overall. I am not a disgruntled RIM guy, blaming them for everything under the sun nor am I an Android troller. Just considering a change and that is not a bad thing. Loyalty is to the device that best suites my needs, not to a company.
PIN: 22A59EAA

[otacon#AC]

I will never buy another Android device for 2 reasons. Battery life and the fact you have to root your device to simply uninstall the HUGE volume of bloatware. Security is big for me as well. I know you can get an app for this and that but I love BlackBerry Protect and simply checking one or two boxes and my entire device is encrypted and password protected. To each his own though....tried Android and won't ever go back.

[Tre Lawrence]

#4 Deep integration of apps - On a BB I can send a text, bbm (leave that one out), email, facebook message/wall post, twitter post, social feed, etc. right from the main email folder. Can this be done on an Android.


#7 - App switching - With a BB, the app switching screen shows ALL apps that are currently open and the user can switch to them quickly. I understand that Android has an app switcher similar, yet is limited to 4-5 apps it will show.

#8 - Security - BB is known for security. So much so, they were banned in a country because the security is too good! Android on the other hand is open source which is great from a developers perspective, yet leaves it open to malware. Consistently mentioned in articles on the internet are Android phones be susceptible to scams and malware. I suppose one has to be careful just like on their PC. I have never worried about this stuff with my BB. Hard enough to get a developer to develop an app for BB, let alone create a Trojan! LOL!

Anyways, I have some time to decide. I am not one to constantly be switching phones, really every two years. So what I get is important. Please respond or BBM (oops, that would be going away) - but hey, there is always IM. I don't have a lot of BBM contacts, so it won't be a great loss. Anyway, pretty happy with BB overall. I am not a disgruntled RIM guy, blaming them for everything under the sun nor am I an Android troller. Just considering a change and that is not a bad thing. Loyalty is to the device that best suites my needs, not to a company.
PIN: 22A59EAA

Love the last quote. I respect your type of consumer.

#4: No platform, in my opinion, beats the Android "Share" functionality, where one can share a file through any means of dispersal on the phone, including all you mentioned, as well as Dropbox and more. With widgets, I can bring my most used means to the fore-front.

#7: I think it is eight apps, and even more if you use third-party tools

#8: Never had a problem on Android... but was curious. What country banned them? I thought RIM gave in?

I will never buy another Android device for 2 reasons. Battery life and the fact you have to root your device to simply uninstall the HUGE volume of bloatware. Security is big for me as well. I know you can get an app for this and that but I love BlackBerry Protect and simply checking one or two boxes and my entire device is encrypted and password protected. To each his own though....tried Android and won't ever go back.

I see your point, and appreciate it, but IMHO, no platforms have as much bloatware as BlackBerry and Apple (with regards to DM and iTunes). But I do get your point. It makes sense. Too many skins, and too much bloat.

[joeberrymomma]

@trelawrence I am not sure what country it was and yes, I am sure RIM adjusted in some way. Thanks for your response. Very helpful. #1 on my list is really the biggest consideration. Keyboard. I think I could get used to a touch screen eventually.
Been on Blackberry for about four years now, so it is a familiar, comfortable shoe. Upgraded the OS more times than I can count. I am not making Hybrids or anything, yet, comfortable. I have never "rooted" an Android. Not even sure I would want to "root" anything unless it is weeds in my garden. It all would be a learning curve for sure. Also, BB has Desktop Manager and App Loader if things go haywire with the device or synchronization. These are tools that can be used locally and without internet interaction. What does Android/Google have? In the way of wireless synchronization, I use Funambol for my Berry and it syncs flawlessly with Outlook, which is my tool of choice. Thinking that wireless sync with Outlook will work on Android too?
@otacon72 ...I hear that the battery life on the 9900 is not all that great either. Just what I have read.

[renownedanonymous]

Thanks for the review/comparison. I am/was having this same internal debate and thought I had decided on the 9900 but your points are making me reconsider!

I saw one person mention the time from Standby to Phone call (etc.) is much faster on a BB. This is one of the things I really like on BB's and use the keyboard for speed dial and shortcuts all the time. Can you comment on what kind of difference there is on the SGII?

Also, when typing on the SGII at the store I noticed it predicted pretty well. Have you come across any frustrations when trying to type (e.g., when you just want to hit a certain letter but have trouble)?

Thanks for your input! Looks like I might be going back to the store to spend some more time with the SGII

[joeberrymomma]

Thanks for the review/comparison. I am/was having this same internal debate and thought I had decided on the 9900 but your points are making me reconsider!

I saw one person mention the time from Standby to Phone call (etc.) is much faster on a BB. This is one of the things I really like on BB's and use the keyboard for speed dial and shortcuts all the time. Can you comment on what kind of difference there is on the SGII?

Also, when typing on the SGII at the store I noticed it predicted pretty well. Have you come across any frustrations when trying to type (e.g., when you just want to hit a certain letter but have trouble)?

Thanks for your input! Looks like I might be going back to the store to spend some more time with the SGII

Getting to the phone on a BB should be faster all around, because there is actually a physical button for it and the user can get to the phone from wherever they are on the device. Something I would miss on the SGII. Home screen and then icon for phone.
Like you, I have to spend some more time with the phone in the store, especially typing. I am going to make list of things I am looking for. Too easy to get sucked in by the "WOW" factor of that big awesome screen and flash media. There will be trade offs. Some things will be better on the SGII than the BB and vice versa. It is all what you think will make you happy. For me, another compelling factor of the SGII is the camera and video recording. Top notch as I have read in the reviews. BB camera is okay, not great. Would like to carry one device for all things and not a separate camera to get good pics. One device strapped to my belt is enough. Two and I start to look like Darth Vader or something.